Improvement in water-wheels



"tiuted mes patent @Witte Letters Patent No. 98,828, dated January 11, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT 1N WATER-WHEELS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all `whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLARD M. WHEELER, of Berlin, in the county of Worcester; State of Massachusetts, have invented certain. ,new and useful linprovements in the Construction of Water-Wheels und Gates; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, due reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specilicat-ion. o In said drawings- Figure 1 is a top view of luy invention', with the right-hand h alf shown in section, taken at the line a: ,Iy of fig. 2.

Figure 2 is a side view,with the right half shown in section, taken at the line 'v w of tig. 1, and

Figure 3 shows a form of bucket before being applied to the wheel. Y

The same letters indicate the saine parts iuea'ch figure.

A is the shaft.

B, the top or cap of the wheel, made fast to the shaft, and supporting the rim-or body C. V

D Dare the buckets, seeuredto the rim C and top E is the curb, in which the wheel' turns, and

E is the top of the same, `with a bearing for the shaftA. j' -V Through the upper part 'of are the ports or waterways, and the gateG plays around outside of E, and has corresponding ports with chutesH H H.

The gate G, I. make with one or more jointsc, having a pair of lips, I, and screw K, so arranged as to hold the parts a little. separate, ifdesired, orto bling 4them close together, and thus adjust the t and compensate for the wear, securing a tight gate. To give it motion, a rack and pinion, as at 4L, may be used.

The chutes-H H H may be strengthened, if necessary, by bracing from 'the circular part of the gate, or by ribs or casimg.4

The wheel isiu two parts, so to speak, one inside of the rim G, and the other outside, the wing o of the buckets (see iig. l3) passing through or projecting from C, as shown in figs. 1 and'2, and forming the inside part,and the remainder of the bucket `is attached outside of G, the upper portion being perpendicular te the` depth of the wing o, or there-about, and thence it turns to a spiral of decreasing pitch, and extends around O, so as to make the discharge at its end about six-tenthsof a port or gate-opening, the upper edge of bucket being set at the angle shown in lig. 1, or thereabout, ,the rim C having ports'for each wing about one-halt' size of lthe others, but which vary with size of wheel and head of water, in relation 4to speed. The other parts may be of any convenient `o1un,to agree with -the surroundings of each, and, therefore, may vary according to circumstances.

The operation is simple and plain. When the gates are turned to open only a little, the water, guided by the chutes, enters unbroken against the buckets, `and falls tothe lower part, efxpending its full power and weight, and when the gate is fullyopen, the water passes both down the outside of C, and also' through its ports, and acts on the wings, and falling inside, the water, being divided, is notchecked, only sutlcient to. obtain all its force and eiiciency.

I am aware that wheels have been made in two parts, and also with double buckets, and that gates are frequently operated by a rack and pinion. These I do not claim.

That I claim as new, and desire to secure b 2. The revolving cylindrical gate G, having xed chutes attached to and projecting obliquely from the edges of its ports, when constructed and arranged to operate substantially as herein specified..

W. M. WHEELER.

Witnesses:

A. GREENE, JAs. G. ARNOLD. 

